Screen Test (1985)

The eighties were oversaturated with sex comedies, and so many got lost in the pile. But this one had an edge at the video store - seeing Monique Gabrielle and Michelle Bauer on the cover of the VHS box was enough to get most guys to rent this back in the day.  Let's see if it lives up to its cover art.

Fear Chamber (1968)

Fear Chamber was Boris Karloff's last movie.  It was part of a four picture deal Karloff made with a Mexican producer.  His scenes were filmed separately in LA by Jack Hill; the rest is campy Mexican madness.

Close Enough to Touch (2002)

This looks to be about as generic as you get - your standard issue late-night cable erotica.  However, when you read reviews on IMDb and elsewhere calling this the best soft core flick in the past couple decades, it deserves a look.

Death Spa (1989)

A cool new Los Angeles health club opens, but the customers keep winding up dead.  Featuring murderous bathroom tiles, killer tanning beds, and fatal saunas.

Two Roses and a Golden Rod (1969)

It's a mixed up tale of sexual dynamics within a rich Hollywood family. 

Tempting Roommates (1976)

AKA Self Service Girls, Original Title: Mädchen, die sich selbst bedienen.  The anthology format was extremely popular for sexploitation films.  Whether it was the endless Schulmädchen-Report films from Europe or the nurse/stewardess films in the US, the anthology format fit the genre well - providing lots of women getting naked in bite sized stories.  They were like peep shows or stag films strung together, linked by an often weak centerpiece.

Click: The Calendar Girl Killer (1990)

A famous photographer's models are all turning up dead.  Who could the killer be?  The photographer - Ross Hagen, his assistant Troy Donahue or the stalker, Hoke Howell?

Bounty Huntress (2001)

If you're expecting anything resembling Tomb Raider, don't be fooled.  The cover art makes no sense whatsoever.  This is your standard run of the mill erotic thriller... but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Party Favors (1987)

Forget Lord of the Rings, this is my favorite trilogy.  Starting with Takin' It Off (1985), followed up by the amazing Takin' It All Off (1987), now we have the Return of the King of this series - Party Favors from the same year.  As it contains the same sets, same wardrobe and some of the same actors as the second installment, I'm going to go out on a limb and say it was filmed at the same time.

The Soldier with Great Maneuvers (1978)

Original Title: La soldatessa alle grandi manovre; A sequel of sorts to the Italian comedy La soldatessa alla visita militare (1977). The gang's all here - the troupe made a number of similar films, including the follow up - The Nurse in the Military Madhouse.  If you're not familiar, just imagine the Carry On films, but a lot stupider.

Blood Kiss (1999)

A shot on video (SOV) horror film; given that it was made in '99, I'm guessing one of the last legit SOV flicks released.  As with most SOV films, the amateurishness knows no bounds, but it's all done with heart. If you've ever seen American Movie, released this same year, then you maybe can appreciate this odd little corner of the horror genre landscape.

Sex, Demons and Death (1975)

Original Title: Diabolicamente... Letizia; a couple takes in a teenager with psychic powers.  Trouble follows.

Play Nice (1992)

It's your typical erotic thriller, so why bother?  One reason: Louise Robey.  I had a major league crush on this star of the Friday the 13th TV series back in the eighties.  Who knew she got naked in an erotic thriller?  Well, as soon as I found out, thirty plus years later, I had to check it out.

The Suckers (1972)

Yet another entry in the "Most Dangerous Game" themed movies - a genre unto itself.  A group of models and photographers are caught in the "hunting humans" scenario where they must run for their lives as "big game hunters" stalk their prey.  Featuring Sandy Dempsey.

Castle of Creeping Flesh (1968)

Original Title: Im Schloß der blutigen Begierde; AKA Castle of Bloody Lust.  A group of aristocrat partiers get caught up in an ancient tragedy that haunts Castle Saxon to this very day. Featuring Howard Vernon and the always ravishing Janine Reynaud. 

Alien Space Avenger (1989)

Alien fugitives crash land in the 1930s; fifty years later they're reeking havoc on New York City.  A comic book artist and his hot girlfriend are the only ones that can save us.  It's a campy B-movie that contains a lot more fun and items of interest that you might expect.  Let's have a look.

Separate Ways (2001)

Why even try and watch this obscure erotic thriller when we know it's going to be garbage?  First, it stars C. Thomas Howell - and it's fun to watch teen heartthrobs from the eighties having to act in crappy movies for cash - plus, he was great in The Hillside Strangler.  Also, you never know when you're going to land on that hidden gem.  This could be the one!  Let's give it a whirl...

Bewitched (1969)

We recently covered Carne, another film by Armando Bo starring Isabel Sarli.  Bo and Sarli made several movies together, always controversial and always flaunting Sarli's nude body.  Carne, wasn't exactly my cup of tea - more or less just featuring Sarli getting manhandled and raped in the back of a meat truck for the duration of the film.  Still, it was heralded as a masterpiece, and is well loved in Argentina.  Bewitched (original title Embrujada) seems a bit more up my alley, featuring an evil entity known as the Pombero.  Let's have a look, and give another Armando Bo film a try...

Angel Eyes (1993)

Monique Gabrielle plays a disturbed girl that comes to live with her stepfather, played by John Phillip Law (Diabolik, from Danger Diabolik, Sinbad from The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, and Pygar from Barbarella).  We also have small parts from Erik Estrada (CHiPs) and Robert Quarry (Count Yorga)... so, definitely worth a look...

I Am Frigid... Why? (1972)

Original Title: Je suis frigide... pourquoi?; This French film starring Sandra Julien is basically the inverse of Julien's film the previous year, Libido: The Urge to Love, also by Director Max Pécas,  In the 1971 film, Julien is transformed into a nymphomaniac by a fall down an elevator shaft.  In this picture, the reverse occurs, a tragic event renders Julien frigid.  Let's have a look...

Vampyros Lesbos (1971)

This Franco feature rose above the piles of Euro sleaze via its amazing soundtrack.  Resurfacing in the 1990s, it actually landed in the top ten in some European countries.  The film also features the mysterious beauty, Soledad Miranda, who died in a car accident a year before this film was released.

Sensuela (1973)

It's been called "the weirdest Finnish film ever made"; I'm not familiar enough with films from Finland to say, but I can say this film is odd for very different reasons than we're used to.  It's strange because it's coming from a different culture, with conventions and aesthetic far removed from Hollywood. At times it seems unintentionally campy, other times sizzling with sex, and others surprisingly touching.  Let's have a look...

A.A.A. Masseuse, Good-Looking, Offers Her Services (1972)

Original Title: A.A.A. Massaggiatrice bella presenza offresi...  A girl moves away from her parents to make it as a masseuse.  Unfortunately, all her clients end up being dead.  Just as unfortunate - the long clunky title of this film.  It refers to the advertisement the girl places in the paper for her masseuse business.

Midnite Plowboy (1971)

Directed by Bethel Buckalew, the man that brought us the sleazy hicksploitation classics: Southern Comforts and Sassy Sue, The Pigkeeper's Daughter, and Tobacco Roody.  We've covered all of these.  We can't stop now, can we?

A Woman in Flames (1983)

Original Title: Die flambierte Frau
A German film about a housewife who decides to become a call girl.  The critics liked it; that generally means I won't.  Let's give it a shot...

The French Sex Murders (1972)

Original Title: Casa d'appuntamento; featuring a Bogart lookalike, the jungle girl from The Mighty Peking Man, the fakest looking decapitation ever, and tons of whores in trouble.

Scoundrel in White (1972)

Four years after Rosemary's Baby and her divorce from Frank Sinatra, Mia Farrow starred in this lesser known French dark comedy.  Also starring the always-stunning Laura Antonelli.

The Reincarnation of Peter Proud (1975)

They were obsessed with reincarnation in the seventies; so, it's no surprise that Max Ehrlich's 1974 book on the subject would be a bestseller and receive a movie adaptation the following year.  Michael Sarrazin stars, with Margot Kidder.

Hunchback of the Morgue (1973)

Original Title: El jorobado de la Morgue
An Igor character played by Paul Naschy is heartbroken to find the only person who ever treated him with kindness is dead.  Now, he enlists the help of a Dr. Frankenstein type scientist to bring her back to life.  What could go wrong?

Pretty Cool (2006)

A Rolfe Kanefsky jam which spoofs on dozens of classic teen movies - primarily Zapped and Weird Science.

Erotic Games of a Respectable Family (1975)

Original Title: Giochi Erotichi Di Una Famiglia Per Bene

A man catches his wife cheating on him, and all hell breaks loose.  Featuring as many twists and turns as there are Italian chicks in miniskirts. 

Dead by Dawn (1998)

It looks to be your standard erotic thriller.  Yet this Shannon Tweed flick has a reputation as being one of the best of its genre.  Why they don't make this type of movie anymore, I don't know.  Maybe it was a genre meant for late-night cable and doesn't have a place in a world with instant streaming and free porn on demand.  I'm not quite sure, but I miss these films, and I'm interested to see one that's considered among the best of its brand.  Let's take a look.

Steambath (1973)

Steambath was first a 1970 Off Broadway play by Bruce Jay Friedman, then it became a TV movie in '73.  Only 24 PBS affiliates played it because of its racy content, featuring brief nudity from Valerie Perrine. To those who got a chance to see it, it would not be soon forgotten.  This sort of content wasn't supposed to be on American TV.  Yet it was.  Let's have a brief look at this unique TV movie...

Blood Games (1990)

A traveling female softball team must battle psychotic rednecks.  It's a film that defies expectations and well worth a look...

The Hazing (2004)

This was originally going to be the official sequel to Hell Night.  Instead it ends up being a homage to Evil Dead and Night of the Demon, yet at the same time standing on its own.  A surprising gem that's worth a look...

Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972)

Mix equal parts Austin Powers and Bram Stoker and you get Dracula A.D. 1972 - a wonderful admixture of Hammer horror and Swingin' Shaggin' London. It's both groovy and Gothic, and highly entertaining. At times you'll think you're watching a blaxploitation flick - the soundtrack is funky and Drac is the ultimate pimp. At other times it's classicly Gothic, with dark castles and late night seances.  Indeed, Dracula A.D. 1972 has one foot in classic Hammer horror and the other in the funktastic 1970s, makes this a rare treat.

The House that Dripped Blood (1971)

I can talk to you all day about a movie, but when it comes to typing it into a formal review, complete with well-thought-out critique, I'm not your guy. That sounds like a lot of work; and I'd rather spend my time just watching another movie.

That being said, I do like sharing what I've watched.  This week I watched a flick that is near and dear to my heart - The House that Dripped Blood.

The Ambushers (1967)

To the Atomic Age hipster, the spy was the ultimate bachelor badass. Reckless, yet never ruffled. Daring, yet tender. His Beretta in one hand, his other hand holstering a martini.  He was an epiphany of suave.  For my money, no one personified this better than Dean Martin in his Matt Helm movies.  Indeed, The Ambushers is a celluloid cocktail of cheesecake and Dino mojo, shaken not stirred.

Bikini Summer (1991)

A group of friends are tasked with redecorating a beach house.  Prepare for bikini contests, bad jokes, slow-mo skinny dipping, and the worst music 1991 had to offer.

A Woman Possessed (1975)

A moody and artsy French horror flick about a man desperate to become part of a witch cult in rural France, and his wife's involvement by proxy.

Girls Come First (1975)

A struggling artists is asked to provide sexy illustrations for an adult magazine.  Will it cause friction with his girlfriend, Sue Longhurst?  Will it live up to the movie poster?  Let's have a look...

Tenement (1985)

From the director of Prime Evil comes a movie rated X in the United States - one of just a few movies to receive this rating solely for violence.

Criminal Affair (1968)

(Original title: 7 uomini e un cervello) A heist movie starring Ann-Margret set in Buenos Aires.

Hellroller (1992)

Not only does Hellroller offer a tantalizingly insane concept of a wheelchair bound psycho, but it also features some of the big names in B-movies of the day: Michelle Bauer, Ruth Collins, Mary Woronov, and Hyapatia Lee.  Not bad for a shot-on-video grade-Z straight-to-VHS production.  It's not for nothing that this has gained a somewhat cult status among fans of the genre.  Let's have a look...

Country Hooker (1974)

"She gave them what they wanted... and they took everything she had!..  She paid the price of love in Blood! ...Hers!"  It's another hicksploitation drive-in flick featuring Sandy Dempsey and Rene Bond.  Let's watch...

Spine (1986)

A very rare VHS - much sought after among collectors.  It's going for a couple hundred dollars on ebay at the moment; so, let's see what all the hubbub is about...

The Room of Chains (1970)

Original Title: Les amours particulières

Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV (2000)

I remember renting the original Toxic Avenger VHS back around 1987; judging by the cover it seemed like a family-friendly super hero movie.  I evidently didn't look too closely at the box, and my little brother and I were startled by what we watched on the living room VCR.

Fast forward a few decades, and I'm taking a look at its official sequel (Troma pretended the poorly-received sequels from 1989 didn't occur).  I actually enjoyed Part 3 (reviewed on VZ1 here), but Citizen Toxie was is actually well liked, so may be worth taking a look.  Plus, it's chock full of cameos including: Lemmy, Al Goldstein, Stan Lee (narration), Julie Strain, James Gunn, Corey Feldman, Eli Roth, and Hugh Hefner.

Around the World with Fanny Hill (1974)

Fanny Hill is tired of sitting around watching her successful photographer husband enjoy the company of beautiful women.  She strikes out on her own, bringing her friend Monica with her, to Venice, Hong Kong, and Hollywood.  The two have lots of adventures and lots of clothes are shed.  A beautifully shot Swedish sexploitation romp - let's have a look.

Mama's Dirty Girls (1974)

A cut-throat mother and her three daughters create murderous mayhem when they arrive in a rural town.  Starring Candice Rialson